


The Return

by hopefulfridays



Category: Poldark (TV 2015)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-14
Updated: 2020-03-31
Packaged: 2021-02-28 20:00:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 15,160
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23132818
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hopefulfridays/pseuds/hopefulfridays
Summary: An AU which sees Caroline Penvenen return to Cornwall five years after having left. There was no reconciliation after the failed elopement, and Dwight went to sea while Caroline remained in London. Both moved on. Or so they thought...
Relationships: Demelza Carne/Ross Poldark, Dwight Enys/Caroline Penvenen
Comments: 36
Kudos: 46





	1. Caroline

**Author's Note:**

> First posted on tumblr way back in 2018. I have updated it, and here it is...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What Caroline did in London...

Five years had passed since Caroline, Lady Coniston had lived in Cornwall for any length of time. She had left Killewarren after her uncle’s death, having no wish to remain in a place that held only painful memories.

Once returned to London, Caroline set about forging a new life for herself. It was easy enough to accomplish; London was full of distractions which were balm to a wounded soul who only wished to forget. As she had once told her uncle, an heiress is very much in demand, and London only proved her point. Caroline was able to busy herself with various balls, assemblies and suppers and especially with keeping numerous suitors at arms length.

Her method of staving off her pain produced results, at least in the short term. Her painful memories faded a little. It was only occasionally, late at night, after she had arrived home from spending time in superficial and tedious company, that she found herself wondering what might have been had she decided differently about her future with Dwight Enys.

Although she greatly valued her independence, Caroline eventually allowed herself to be persuaded into marriage with Lord Arthur Coniston. She admired his persistence, and having a large estate and fortune of his own, was reassured that he was no fortune hunter. He was also mildly handsome, intelligent and in possession of a moderate sense of humour. She knew her uncle would have been highly pleased in her choice of a husband, and although they had argued this particular point some time before he died, this knowledge was a source of comfort. 

Caroline believed it was possible that she may grow to love Arthur, but knew it would never be a “grand passion”. This was perfectly acceptable, even preferable to her, as great passion only brought great heartache, in her somewhat limited experience. She put much stock, however, in the fact that Arthur genuinely loved her. In Caroline's slightly cynical opinion, from what she had seen in London, the most fortunate wife is the one whose husband loves her just a touch more than she him.

Lord and Lady Coniston found themselves in great demand socially in London, and for a time happily accepted most invitations received. A handsome, diverting couple with consequential social connections were highly desired at most soiree, and to have Lord and Lady Coniston attend became a matter of pride. Such a social life can become rather tiresome however, and it was for this reason that Arthur decided now might be the time to take a restful break at his wife’s former home in Cornwall.

After three years of marriage, Caroline was completely bereft of excuses as to why she and her husband shouldn’t venture into Cornwall to see the estate of her late uncle which Arthur himself now owned. She had quite deliberately had no correspondence with anyone in Cornwall other than her steward over the past five years, and so was quite ignorant of the doings of her old acquaintances. This left her extremely apprehensive as to what, or more to the point, who, she might find in Cornwall, but she knew that there was no delaying Arthur on this occasion without entering into a conversation she most definitely did not wish to have.

Consequently Lord and Lady Coniston travelled to Cornwall and Killewarren, unsure as to how long they would remain there, each having quite different thoughts on the length of their “Cornwall Adventure” as Arthur put it.

They arrived one sunny afternoon, in late May. The spring showed Killewarren and it’s gardens at their absolute best. The flowers were in full bloom and the sun sparkled off the water in the old moat. Once their carriage had come to a halt, Horace even managed to jump out of Caroline's arms in his enthusiasm, and happily waddled around the courtyard.

”My darling, I cannot believe you have kept this enchanting place from me” Arthur exclaimed. “What other secrets of your former life in Cornwall have you kept from me? I must find them out immediately!" he laughed, as he kissed her cheek with great affection.

Caroline managed a weak smile in return, as her heart began to beat rapidly.

Arthur continued "I believe I shall swiftly take to life at Killewarren. As for London - we may never return!"


	2. Dwight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dwight’s life in Cornwall has taken a turn for the better.

May had given way to June and Cornwall was enjoying a bright start to summer. In the kitchen at Nampara, the weather matched the mood. Dwight had called unexpectedly for tea. Over the years he had become part of the family, although he saw less of the Poldarks than he would like in recent times. It was for this reason that on the spur of the moment he had turned his horse towards Nampara. 

“I can scarce believe it Dwight!” Demelza, smiled happily as she poured more tea. “In a matter of weeks you’ll be married. I can’t tell you how happy we are for you, after all you’ve been through”

”I can hardly believe it myself “ replied Dwight with a smile. “I have always envied you and Ross your quiet married life, and now I am about to join your ranks”

Demelza raised her eyebrows at his comments about her “quiet married life”, and they both laughed.

The kitchen door opened, and Ross came in, crossing the room to kiss Demelza and nodding at Dwight a little warily. He sat down heavily and sighed. He pulled the pot of tea toward him and poured himself a cup before deciding against it and reaching for the brandy. 

”Is all well Ross? You seem...out of sorts” Dwight queried, before refusing Ross's offer of brandy. 

”All is well Dwight. Put my mood down to weariness and frustration ” Ross responded, avoiding his eye and slapping Dwight on the shoulder. “There’s just not enough hours in the day what with Wheal Grace and parliamentary matters. Eventually something has to give, but exactly what, I do not know yet"

”Now that I understand “ said Dwight. He was still as busy and beloved as ever in Sawle and it’s surrounds. A good few of the big houses in the district called on his services, preferring his methods and manner to Dr Choake. He had little time to spare for himself, and what time he had, he usually spent in study or at Nampara. Now he was engaged though, his visits to Nampara had been less frequent, replaced by visits to his fiancee.

Dwight finished his tea, and presently made his apologies, leaving to attend his patients in Sawle. Before he left, Ross tried to determine whether he had reason to go to Truro today.

”No not today, I’ve not the time. I shouldn't have stopped here for tea, but I've neglected you both of late” Dwight answered, slightly bewildered and he went on his way.

The instant Ross heard Dwight’s horse canter away, he turned to Demelza with a frown.  
  
“I’ve just come from Truro myself my love, and you will never believe who I happened to see there!" Ross could hardly get the words out quick enough.

”Whoever can you mean Ross?” asked Demelza, unable to think of anyone who would unsettle Ross to this extent. 

”Lord and Lady Coniston...Lady Coniston being our benefactor, Caroline Penvenen, as she was when she came to our rescue.” He replied as he poured another glass of brandy.

Demelza paled. “Are you sure?”

”Of course I’m sure! I did not speak to her, but I passed not five feet in front of her" Ross paused and explained further "Caroline nodded at me and smiled but her husband seemed deep in conversation with George Warleggan so as you can imagine, I passed by without greeting her, lest I be forced into conversation with George”

”Well do we inform Dwight? And risk unsettling him before his wedding?” Demelza wondered.

”If we don’t and he runs into her by chance, would that be the worse option? And would he care? He never mentions her or the time they spent together. Six years is time enough to forget, for the flame that burned between them to die. It seems it has been time enough for Caroline. That she should return now, of all possible times! Just when Dwight appears as content and settled as I've seen him in a long while."

He emptied his glass and said hopefully "Perhaps I am worrying for nought. Perhaps Caroline is nothing but a distant memory" 

Demelza gazed at Ross sceptically. “He will care, you know he will. You would not have come in with a face like thunder otherwise. And you would not have polished off three glasses of brandy before supper. Dwight in his own way puts up as much a facade as Caroline ever did, when it comes to their failed relationship. And surely I don’t need to remind you, of all people how love can endure over time”

”True, but my first love didn’t endure in the end. It was replaced and surpassed by a deeper, more abiding love.” He caught Demelza’s hand and kissed it. “What remains to be seen is how long it has endured for Dwight”


	3. Contentment

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dwight reflects on his good fortune

Dwight Enys settled back in his chair by the fire and sighed with contentment. It had been a long and admittedly tedious day, treating patients with very similar ailments, and he had battled an unseasonably cold wind as he rode from his cottage to Sawle and Truro and back again. His tiring day was not enough to dampen his mood, however. In a matter of weeks, he was to be married. The solitary chair by the fire would be solitary no longer. He was incredibly grateful for the companionship his new wife would provide and the knowledge that he would no longer be lonely in his little cottage on the cliff gave him great comfort. When it came down to it, his medical studies, although always interesting, were no substitute for warm and lively conversation of an evening. He was most looking forward to returning from Sawle or a patient to find candles burning in the window, and an affectionate welcoming embrace.

After all the turmoil of previous years, that he was about to finally achieve a life of settled domesticity was a minor miracle in his opinion.

He had returned from the Navy and French imprisonment a shadow of his former self physically, and in an even worse condition mentally. Not only had Ross rescued him from Quimper, once safely back on Cornish soil, he had installed him in one of the bedrooms at Nampara and demanded he stay there until the Poldarks permitted him to leave. Over the course of several months, with a great deal of love, care and understanding from Ross and Demelza, Dwight had finally found himself again and had once again taken up his role of country doctor. 

He had moved back into his old cottage and life fell back into it's regular pattern. The routine he had had before loving and losing Caroline Penvenen. 

He had met Jane Alloway just over a year ago, when she had arrived in Truro from a neighbouring town to live with her uncle, after the death of her father. Jane's uncle owned the apocathery shop that Dwight used, and she would frequently help her uncle mix the powders and potions. She greeted all the customers, ensured their orders were correct and that all left the shop satisfied .

Naturally Dwight was a constant presence in the shop, and he found himself looking forward to his visits more and more, and the pleasant conversation that followed. Jane was a reminder that there was more to life than medicine, and illness and cures, a reminder that he had sorely needed, as he had been in the habit of isolating himself in his cottage, with the Poldarks his sole source of company. 

Jane was a gentle, quiet and pretty woman who was unafraid of hard work and was familiar with a wide variety of maladies and their remedies. She had some education and was met with approval in all levels of society. Jane also managed to befriend all in her path, from every last villager in Sawle to the extremely brusque Customs Officer Vercoe and such was her charm, no one questioned her very eclectic group of friends and acquaintances. 

Altogether an ideal wife for a country doctor, everyone agreed, including Dwight, who made an offer of marriage some six months into their acquaintance. It was quickly and joyfully accepted and if their pairing lacked passion on his side, the practicality of what they would be able to accomplish together for his patients made up for it, Dwight told himself. Besides, passion did not mean happiness as a matter of course, as he knew only too well. Jane would make a loving, supportive and undemanding wife. She understood the importance of his work, and had an interest in it herself. Her temperament veered towards the serious, but he himself was that way inclined, so Dwight felt the marriage had every chance at success. As he had told Demelza, he had long envied the Poldarks their married life, even if it had been somewhat turbulent at times. The thought of having a houseful of children also added to the attraction of the marriage. 

Ross and Demelza had been thrilled for him. They thoroughly approved of Dwight's choice, and while Jane was not the force of nature that Caroline Penvenen had been, she was unlikely to be anything but good for Dwight. They both believed the two were an excellent match, although they did privately wonder from time to time how Dwight had become involved with two such very different women.

Dwight sat in his chair until the embers in the fireplace died. He had not felt this degree of contentment for a long long while. He was very pleased and a little surprised at the direction his life had taken, but he was also confident that this time, nothing could derail the calm and settled future he pictured.


	4. Denial

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ross and Demelza give Dwight some news.

Dwight hurriedly left the apocathery shop, apologising to Jane for not having the time to linger with her, explaining he was late for luncheon at the Poldarks. Apparently Ross had some urgent business to discuss with him. What it was, Dwight had no idea, but Ross had been quite insistent that they meet today.

He left Truro, riding along the cliffs and wondering what on earth was so urgent that Ross needed to meet with him at lunchtime, and at Nampara rather than Wheal Grace. As he rode, he saw a very fine carriage approaching from the inland path. As it drew closer he saw a blonde woman with an extremely large hat inside, and on her lap was a pug. Immediately his thoughts flew to Caroline Penvenen. The carriage's superior speed saw it pass Dwight, and he told himself he must have been imagining things. He was sure Caroline would never return to Cornwall. And he had no desire to be thinking of Caroline Penvenen now, just when his future appeared so promising. It had always been of some comfort to him that Caroline would not return to Killewarren. She had no reason to. Killewarren had been places in the hands of a steward who by all accounts did a fine job. 

He had heard nothing of Caroline since learning of her uncle's death. He remembered that very awkward call he had made to Ray Penvenen, giving him that very bleak prognosis, and Ray then informing him of Caroline's imminent engagement to another. He knew Caroline had come back to Cornwall to nurse her uncle, and that she had nursed him until he had died, which only increased his admiration for her. If Ross and Demelza had heard anything more of her after that time, they certainly hadn't told him, and George Warleggan no longer seemed interested in salting that particular wound. So he was very much in the dark regarding Caroline Penvenen. He shook his shoulders as if to shrug off any thoughts of her, and rode on to Nampara.

Once there, he was surprised to see Ross and Demelza already seated at the dining table. There was no Jeremy to clamber over him as he usually did whenever he saw his "Uncle" Dwight, and no Clowance to climb into Ross' lap as was her habit. Dwight assumed Prudie had the children in the next room, but their absence in the middle of the day was most unusual.

Ross and Demelza exchanged solemn looks as Dwight sat down and Ross began quietly

"Dwight, we have something we must tell you"

Dwight gave him a quizzical look and said jokingly "You've decided to sell Nampara and try your luck in America ?"

Demelza gave him a quick smile, but her serious countenance did not change.

"It may be of no consequence to you whatsoever but we would not want you to be unprepared..."

"Caroline has returned, hasn't she?" Dwight interrupted flatly. "Her carriage passed me as I was riding here. I thought I must have imagined her. Well, it's very kind of you both to be concerned for me, but as you have just said, it's of no consequence to me. Caroline Penvenen is nothing to me, other than a reminder of my escape from a potentially disastrous marriage. Her unexpected arrival here has no bearing on my life whatsoever." 

He paused and studied them both before saying "You do know I am most happily engaged to be married? You could not meet a better suited couple than Jane and myself, present company excluded, naturally. We are extraordinarily happy. I absolutely intend to fulfill my obligation to Jane"

"Obligation?" Demelza questioned slowly. "I'm not sure Jane would wish to be viewed as an obligation Dwight. We never meant to question your commitment to Jane, only to prepare you. We believed that Caroline's appearance here may be a little unsettling"

"Of course I do not view Jane as an obligation. I apologize. That was badly worded, but the fact remains the same. I would marry Jane tomorrow if it could be arranged" Dwight replied defensively.

"And you know that Caroline eventually married Lord Coniston?" added Ross gently.

"Why would I presume otherwise? A most suitable match for them both. I wish them well. Caroline and I would have been miserable. Our attachment was mere youthful folly. I take it her husband is at Killewarren too?" asked Dwight.

Ross and Demelza both nodded.

"How wonderful! Perhaps we can all have tea" Dwight responded with an undue amount of sarcasm. 

Ross and Demelza exchanged another look. They had never before heard anything remotely sarcastic pass Dwight Enys' lips.

"Is this all? This is the matter you so urgently needed to discuss with me?" Dwight asked tersely.

Ross answered in the affirmative. 

Dwight took a breath and continued "Well in that case, as I said, thank you for your concern, but there is no need. Time heals most wounds, and I can inform you that I have no scars. Well, no scars owing to my time with Caroline Penvenen." He cleared his throat. "Excuse me, Lady Coniston"

He smiled widely and rose from the table. "Now I must go. I have patients to tend and I am already late as it is"

And he turned and practically ran out the door.

Demelza called after him "But Dwight, your lunch! You've had nothing to eat", but Dwight had already mounted his horse and ridden away.

Ross shook his head and asked "Have you ever seen anyone so deeply in the throes of denial than our Dwight Enys?"

Demelza raised her eyebrows at him and said with a smile "Your trial, smuggling, debts...I could go on..."

Ross laughed, then sheepishly said "Apart from me!" 

He stopped smiling, and brought Demelza into his arms, before remarking much more seriously 

"I see trouble ahead my love. That flame that burned between them - from Dwight's perspective, not only is it still burning, it may well light up half of Cornwall tonight". 


	5. Unwelcome Reminders

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Caroline struggles to forget her past.

Arthur had anticipated a round of suppers and social gatherings in his first few weeks in Cornwall, as Caroline introduced him to Cornish society. Thus far, they had not eventuated, or at least Caroline had declined any invitations on their behalf, pleading fatigue from travel. Apart from a few teas with acquaintances of Ray Penvenen, Lord and Lady Coniston had effectively been confined to Killewarren. Arthur was determined this would change. 

Arthur found Caroline in the garden, sitting on a bench and staring into space while she played with the ring he had placed on her finger on their wedding day. He sat beside her and she gave him a small smile. He took her hand and quietly asked her

”Are you quite well Caroline? You have been somewhat distracted since we came into Cornwall. I am beginning to worry about you"

Caroline squeezed his hand "Please do not worry about me. I am quite well, but this county holds many memories for me Arthur, most of them sad. I will come to myself in time, I am quite sure” 

”I know memories of your uncle are never far from your mind here at Killewarren” Arthur responded sympathetically, “so why not change location for the afternoon? I will have the stablehand saddle our horses. A ride on the beach together would surely please you, would it not? You are hardly off your horse in London, and you haven’t ridden at all since we arrived”

"No!” Caroline replied sharply. She released Arthur's hand and quickly stood up. She took a breath, and in a much softer tone, explained “I apologise. I did not mean to bark at you. Perhaps I am overtired. I think I will go upstairs and rest, but please don’t let my blackened mood stop you from enjoying a ride on the beach. It’s a beautiful day, and you should make the most of it.”

Arthur nodded his assent and let her go inside without questioning her further. He did feel that there was more than her uncle’s death bothering Caroline. His London wife and his Cornwall wife were completely different women.

In London, Caroline was only too happy to attend plays and suppers and balls. She was cheerful and witty, and in company all eyes could not help but be drawn to her. She was effervescent, and he was extremely proud to call her his wife. In Cornwall, he was more and more hard pressed to persuade Caroline to leave Killewarren at all. She had lost her joie de vivre, as it were, and was distracted, her mind constantly elsewhere. Arthur did not know where her mind drifted, or if the "where" was in fact a "who," but he was determined to find the answer.

He was very much enjoying Cornwall and had it in mind to make Killewarren their home for at least part of every summer. For now though, he put Caroline's evasiveness to the back of his mind, and strode off to the stables.

Once safely in their bedchamber, Caroline relaxed into the chair by the fireplace, relieved to no longer have to maintain her charade of happiness. Clearly it was not a very proficient charade however, because Arthur had seen straight through it. And she, who on any given day was more than adept at dissembling!

Caroline had been off kilter from the moment they arrived at Killewarren, but she had been completely shaken by the sight of a certain country doctor riding along the cliffs. She had been returning to Killewarren in the carriage after visiting an old friend of her uncle’s. Caroline had recognised Dwight the moment she saw him, even though he was some distance away. They had spent too much time riding their horses together in the woods and on the beach for her to forget how he sat a horse.

Now she found herself constantly assaulted by memories, memories she thought she had banished forever. The times they had met by accident in Truro, their meetings in the woods each morning, the times she had waited in his cottage for him, and the beach...she could not bear to think of the beach where Dwight had told her that nothing was possible without her. To ride on that beach alongside Arthur, and not Dwight was an impossibility. The pain would be too much to bear.

”You made your choice” she said out loud “now you must live with it” An internal voice seemed to answer "Yes I made it. But why does it still have to torment me so?"

Caroline had no wish to hurt Arthur. Had she never met Dwight Enys, she would have paraded Arthur around London and rightfully been accused of unbearable smugness. By most standards of the day, their marriage was a success. They respected each other, enjoyed each other's company and Caroline cared for her husband. But he was not Dwight, and Caroline knew that no man would ever match him in her esteem. 

It was not Arthur’s fault that he had married a woman who had made a decision based on fear, years ago, and who had believed when she became engaged that she could overcome what she felt for Dwight by sheer force of will. Arthur should not have to pay the price for her past. 

Caroline had seen Ross Poldark in Truro a few days before, but had had no time for greetings, and she was grateful for it. What would she have said, other than superficial niceties? She did not know whether Ross had told Dwight of her presence here, or more to the point, if Dwight would even care. She wondered if Dwight had married. Part of her did not wish to know, could not bear to know, but if so, she wondered whether he had had children, for babies had somehow eluded she and Arthur thus far, a fact that she had been glad of. The thought of having babies with Dwight made her feelings on the subject of childrearing more complicated. Caroline's heart and mind were a whirlwind of strong emotions and contradictions and she truly did not know how to regain her sense of self.

One fact was certain. Her suspicion that her feelings for Dwight had not died had been confirmed many times over in the days since she had seen him. Her feelings were alive and well, so much so that all she wished to do was to return to London where she thought she had buried her heart in misery and humiliation six years ago, and banish all thoughts of Dwight Enys from her mind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In the next chapter, Dwight and Caroline will finally meet once more.


	6. Truro

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Caroline and Arthur venture into Truro.

As much as Caroline was inclined to remain at Killewarren, she sensed that Arthur's patience with her preference was nearing an end, and he was beginning to become truly irritated. The last thing Caroline wanted was a conversation about her reasons for her continuing isolation, so when Arthur suggested a trip to market, Caroline reluctantly acquiesced.

Their time in Truro had actually been quite pleasant. She had enjoyed the change of scenery and the bustle of the small market town. Caroline had found some pretty ribbon in the haberdashers that she fancied to have sewn onto one of her hats, and they had stopped to take tea at an inn. They had met no prior acquaintances, other than the kindly banker Pascoe, and a delighted George Warleggan, who was most impressed with Arthur. As time passed, Caroline became more and more anxious, wondering how long her good fortune would last. It would be the most awful luck to cross paths with Dwight at this late stage, though, surely? Her stomach began to churn, and Caroline began to liken her sojourn in Cornwall to a mild form of torture. 

They were about to depart for home, and were not far from reaching their carriage when a shop door suddenly opened in front of them, and two people emerged from the dark interior. To her horror, Caroline and Arthur found themselves face to face with Dr Dwight Enys and his fiancee. 

Against all the odds, Caroline's schooling and experience amongst the cream of society instantly paid huge dividends, and she was able to greet them in a manner befitting a lady of her high status. 

"Why, Dr Enys. How delightful to see you. How are you? May I present my husband, Arthur, Lord Coniston?" Caroline was a picture of elegance and poise.

"Dr Enys tended Uncle Ray from time to time" Caroline explained smoothly to her husband.

Arthur moved to shake Dwight's hand. Dwight, who initially appeared frozen to the spot, eventually took the proferred hand and quietly stated that he was very well indeed. He introduced Jane as his intended, all the while smiling politely at Arthur and concentrating all his effort in avoiding Caroline's gaze.

"You are engaged! How wonderful! When is the wedding to be?" enquired Caroline, who desired to know nothing about a wedding which suddenly and most horribly offended her, and she would have cheerfully given away her favourite horse at that moment to be anywhere other than where she now stood. She compelled her face to convey the exact opposite however, and was confident that she appeared overjoyed for them both.

"Next week" smiled Jane, as she blushed prettily.

"Next week!" echoed Caroline. "Well please accept our congratulations and we do hope you have the most splendid day!" 

Caroline turned and desperately pulled Arthur along to find the safety of their carriage. Once inside she sat back and willed her heart not to beat out of her chest. She closed her eyes to avoid Arthur's questioning look, and attempted to forget the grievous sight of Jane clinging to Dwight's arm. She _almost_ restrained herself from mentally criticizing Jane, even though Caroline found her sweet expression highly distasteful, and the way Jane tightened her hold on Dwight as she spoke of their wedding, highly objectionable. 

Despite everything, the fact that Caroline had seen nothing on Dwight's face to indicate what they had once been to each other cut her deeply. His eyes, which had always been so expressive and full of love for her before their failed elopement, had held no emotion at all. Dwight's blue eyes had appeared as cold as ice when he had finally looked at her directly. Much like his heart, she thought morosely.

She took no account of the fact that she would have conveyed a very similar impression to Dwight. 

The knowledge that her present agony was entirely her own fault was infuriating. She had no one to blame but herself. And it was not fair to hope that Dwight loved her still. She had married, after all. She should happily wish him to do the same. 

"I do apologize my dear" she said to Arthur when her heartrate had slowed. "I really did feel quite faint for a moment, and felt the need to get out of the sun" Her eyes remained closed as she frantically tried to remember whether the sun was indeed shining. 

Fortunately Arthur seemed mollified with her explanation and settled back for the journey home. He soon remarked "So that's the famous Dr Enys"

"Famous?" asked Caroline nervously. 

"In these parts. I've heard of his tremendous skill as a physician, and all his good works in the villages from many people I've encountered here. The man seems to be viewed as some kind of saint in this district. But no one is without a few flaws, surely? Perhaps I will task myself with finding them out" he replied with a smile.

Caroline forced herself to smile back at him to mask the unease within her. She looked out the window and wondered with self loathing just how deceitful she would become before they eventually left Cornwall. 

~~~~~

""What a grand lady" said Jane, smiling and turning to Dwight. "We don't have many Lords and Ladies in Truro!"

"No we don't. And we are probably better for it" replied Dwight faintly, watching as the carriage made it's departure. Dwight possessed a will of iron when occasion warranted it, and this had been one of those occasions. The control of his face was on a par with Caroline's. 

Jane was a little startled at his last comment, and thoughtfully studied Dwight's face.

"Do you dislike her?" she asked. "I had the feeling you were not eager for any conversation with her"

"Not at all" countered Dwight, his voice emotionless and his face like stone. "I have no feelings for that particular lady one way or the other".


	7. Horace

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Horace goes on an adventure

The morning after the Truro excursion, Horace was nowhere to be found. He was neither on the bed, nor in the basket by the fireplace where he occasionally deigned to sleep. A thorough search of the house - Caroline had directed all the the servants to abandon their daily tasks at once to search every hidden corner of Killewarren, and then move outside to the gardens if unsuccessful - produced no Horace. Caroline was completely overwhelmed by panic, which was not helped by Arthur’s remark that he couldn’t have gone far, as his short legs would only carry his overindulged rotund body a short distance. A perfectly true statement, and Caroline did see the logic in it, but she felt it was particularly insensitive all the same.

Caroline decided she would have to ride out to search for him herself. She hurried to the stables, saddled her horse, and rode out of the gates of Killewarren as if it were on fire. Arthur promised to join her in the search, knowing that until Horace was found, Caroline would remain distraught. The only course of action was to find Horace and find him quickly. He followed her out the gates some ten minutes later and turned to the left, as Caroline had turned to the right.

A short distance away, Dwight Enys made his way across the countryside on horseback, learning into the warm summer wind, his destination Wheal Grace and then Truro. He was lost in thought as he rode, the events of the previous day weighing heavily on his mind. He was eventually brought back to the present by the sound of a dog barking. It was not Garrick; this dog’s bark was higher pitched yet somehow vaguely familiar. His attention roused, he looked around in confusion and to his great astonishment saw Horace, happily making his way - albeit very slowly - across the fields. To be sure, this was a sight he had not expected to see when he left his cottage this morning.

Dwight instantly knew that Horace had escaped his mistress, as Caroline would never have permitted him to wander aimlessly around Cornwall. Where Caroline went, Horace went also. Dwight dismounted and slowly walked over to pick the hefty wee dog up. Horace let out a small growl, but it was more for show rather than his true intent, and after some vigorous sniffing of Dwight's hands, he happily allowed Dwight to gather him up.

”Do you remember me, old boy?” Dwight asked Horace, as he rubbed the top of his head. He was a little surprised at the amount of affection that remained for the dog. “I see even after all this time your mistress has not taken my advice about exercise and feeding you fewer jellies. It is a miracle of unrivalled proportions that you managed to walk this far at all” he continued dryly, as they had a very one sided conversation. “She will be beside herself with worry, so I must return you to her as soon as possible”

Dwight now had a dilemma. How to return the dog and at the same time avoid Caroline and Arthur? The prior day had been an ordeal and he had no wish to repeat it. Maintaining his composure while faced with not only Caroline, but her husband too, in the presence of his fiancée had left him tremendously disconcerted and emotionally exhausted. Perhaps he could leave Horace with the butler. He ran through all possible options in his head, and did not hear the rapidly approaching hooves until they were practically upon him. Dwight turned and gave a start at the sight of Caroline flying toward him on her horse. She fell off, rather than dismounted her horse, such was her urgency.

”Horace! Oh my darling Horace, you bad boy. Don’t you dare frighten me in this manner again!” Caroline scolded him, as she rushed toward them both, Horace still tightly held in Dwight’s arms. Gone was the anxiety of the last few weeks, and the agony that the Truro outing had wrought in her. Her thoughts were for Horace and Horace alone. The adrenaline surged through her body from the relief at finding Horace unharmed, and she became almost giddy. She leant back against her horse to steady herself, overflowing with happiness.

"You have my undying gratitude. I was frantic. What possessed him to escape Killewarren I do not know" she told Dwight, the fact that she was speaking to the man who had given her innumerable sleepless nights unimportant. She had found Horace, and for now, all was well with the world.

"Nor I. More to the point, how he walked this far on those legs with that stomach, I'll never know. Honestly Caroline, it's a wonder you haven't killed him yet!" 

Dwight had responded instictively. He was immediately mortified when he realized how his words sounded over familiar, that they claimed an intimacy he was no longer entitled to. 

He needn't have worried. Caroline laughed, a genuine laugh full of delight, and Dwight inwardly winced. He had always loved to hear her laugh. Why then, should the sound now hurt him so?

"I suppose I should be offended (and it crossed her mind that Arthur had caused offence by speaking similarly) but oddly I am not. And it is not the first time you have disapproved of Horace's dietary preferences. But here we are. Horace is quite well - perhaps my method of care was correct after all" Caroline raised her eyebrows, smiling at him sweetly.

Dwight could not help but smile, and shook his head in resignation. Caroline would never be changed in this regard.

That they were standing here having a conventional, even lighthearted conversation with no thought to how each word they uttered would be received and interpreted, after the tension filled overly polite exchange of yesterday, was remarkable. 

"I knew you would be horribly worried. I was about to deliver him back to you".

Dwight gave Horace over to Caroline, and as she took him from Dwight, their faces mere inches from each other, they each held the other's gaze for a beat too long. Their eyes were full of emotions - regret, sorrow, torment - that they could not articulate, and even if they had had the words, they would not have dared to say them. 

Forcing herself to step away with Horace now in her possession, Caroline searched for something - anything - to say. She began by reminding herself that she had no business gazing into any man's eyes in this manner, other than her husband's, and especially not this man. She cleared her throat and said 

"I am very pleased that you have found such a lovely woman to wed" even as her thoughts called her a liar. "I am sure you will be very happy together" And then, after gathering her courage "much more so than we would have been". More lies.

Dwight stiffly nodded his agreement, and formality returned to his words and his voice. 

"I am indeed a fortunate man. I am very much looking forward to our future together" His words were stilted, almost rote. He had said them numerous times to others, and even more to himself. 

There was nothing else to say after that, without saying everything, so they fell silent, their hearts thumping rapidly in their chests. They soon spied Arthur in the distance, his horse cantering towards them. 

"You found him!" he cried in relief as he rode up. 

"We have Dr Enys to thank. He found Horace while on his rounds, and was about to return him to us" Caroline said evenly. 

"Is there nothing Dr Enys cannot do?" asked Arthur with a broad smile. He nodded at the doctor, and thanked him, the corners of his mouth tightening slightly as he did so.

Dwight smiled politely in response, and Caroline settled Horace onto Arthur's horse, instructing him to remain still as they journeyed home. She mounted her own horse, turned it's head, and gave Dwight a final look, before cantering off in a wave of grass and dust.

Dwight remained as he was for some time, watching Caroline's horse until it was a speck on the horizon.


	8. Cruel Fate

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dwight's denial comes to an end, and Caroline gets a shock.

Ross knocked harder on the door of Dwight’s cottage. It was after supper so he expected Dwight to be in, unless he was gone to a patient. The candle in the window had a good flame though, and finally the door opened to reveal Dwight looking very much the worse for wear. His eyes were bloodshot and his hair was tousled. The shirt he wore was filthy and wet, not with blood from an unfortunate he had earlier treated, but with a familiar smelling liquid.

”Ah, Dwight” Ross shook his head at his friend and pushed past him into the main room, which normally pristine, was littered with vessels also smelling suspiciously like gin.

”Did one of your patients pay you in gin again? And you decided it would be a good idea to consume every last drop in one sitting? Dwight, I think on this occasion, you may just have outdone me at my worst after I had returned from America" Ross remarked, unused to seeing his usually self controlled friend in such a state. 

Dwight didn’t bother with a greeting or a response. He collapsed into a chair at the table and began to speak, his voice usually so pleasantly low pitched and controlled, this evening loud and full of repressed emotion.

”Why Ross? Why now? Why did she have to return? I was content. In less than a week, I will have the settled life I have desired ever since arriving in Cornwall. A loving wife, perhaps a future with children. And now this good fortune feels so hollow. Why can I not accept it and be glad?”

Dwight’s frustration overcame him, and he violently and most uncharacteristically threw his half empty tumbler against the wall.

Ross raised his eyebrows in shock. This was not the Dwight Enys he knew. Dwight put his head in his hands, running his hands through his hair, and continued

“I assumed her husband was disagreeable and disdainful, and therefore she wouldn’t feel for him what she once felt for me. I know I am a selfish wretch, but I could somehow bear that. That kind of marriage could not taint what we had. He could not know Caroline as I do - did. He could never have the connection with her that I did. Our love would always be stronger, purer somehow. But he is handsome and amiable, and she most likely loves him. And I wish Caroline to be happy, I do, but..all this time and yet the pain persists. When does it cease? Can you answer me that?”

He continued to hang his head in despair. “How is it that I am a physician and yet possess no tincture or potion to at least dull this persistent ache?”

”Oh my friend” Ross shook his head again in sympathy, “sometimes life Is so very unjust”.

As Ross was attempting to deal with a drunk and extremely despondent Dwight, Caroline was pacing the floor of Killewarren, anxious because Arthur had not yet returned from his visit to Trenwith. George Warleggan had unsurprisingly been most eager to forge a friendship with Arthur and had issued him an invitation some days ago. Rather than take the carriage, he had chosen to ride.

Arthur was an accomplished horseman and very much enjoyed the Cornish countryside, and he rode out every day, quickly becoming accustomed to the woods near Killewarren and beyond. He had become accustomed to it alone however - Caroline continued to decline his invitations to ride out with him.

Caroline was aware that the woman she had become - someone afraid of venturing beyond her home - was completely contrary to the woman she had always been. Her encounter with Dwight that morning only served to confirm that she had been right to avoid him. The brief uninhibited moments of the morning had not lasted. When she had returned to Killewarren, all her anguish had come rushing back, and she replayed every word Dwight had uttered and every expression on his face over and over in her mind.

Fundamentally a vivacious and witty woman, always eager to be entertained, she had changed immeasurably. She did not like the change and presently she did not like herself at all. She wished she could find the Caroline Penvenen of old, but she honestly did not know how to reverse the change, other than by returning to London, and Arthur was not yet ready to do that. She could not insist on returning, or leave Cornwall alone, as it would raise too many questions.

This evening Arthur had planned to have returned in plenty of time to dine with Caroline at seven o'clock, and it was well past that now. The fact that this morning she had misplaced her dog and this evening she had misplaced her husband was not lost on Caroline. Why must she customarily lose the significant ones in her life?

By ten o’clock Caroline was very concerned and called for her steward. Williams shared her concerns, but he immediately dissuaded her from riding out to find Arthur herself, as she had intended, claiming a party of her staff would move more quickly and more efficiently if they did not have to worry about her safety in the dark. Williams subsequently arranged a search party of Killewarren's footmen and stablehands, although in reality what they could do in the dark, even with lit torches, was negligible.

The search party hunted all through the night without success. However they were not yet defeated. The warm summer weather was reason enough to believe that had Arthur met with an accident, and was lying somewhere injured, he would still be alive, and waiting for rescue. As dawn broke, Caroline's steward hoped it would reveal his location. 

An alternate possibility - that Arthur for reasons unknown had abandoned Caroline and his estate and absconded to an unknown destination - was in Williams' view highly unlikely. Lord Coniston had given no indication whatsoever of dissatisfaction with his life, or his spouse, and so this possibility was hardly considered. 

Caroline had not slept, pacing the floorboards of her bedchamber all night, with Horace held tightly in her arms. Her mind had raced over various scenario, with none of them ending happily. Instinctively she knew the situation was extremely dire. Arthur was not a man to deviate to the nearest public house or gambling hall on a whim, and he was not a man to change his plans without sending a note. She did not believe he would have abandoned her without warning or clue, but then again she herself possessed an inner emotional life Arthur knew nothing about, so she could not rule out the possibility definitively. 

It was just before ten o'clock the next morning that Arthur was found. It appeared that his horse had put his leg in a rabbit hole. The horse's leg had snapped, and the horse fallen. Arthur most likely would have flown over the head of the horse as it's leg broke, hitting his head on the hard ground. The stablehands concluded he must have been travelling at speed for him to fly as far as he had. He was lying on the forest floor not far from Trenwith, with his injured horse. For the horse, they could do nothing but put it out of it's misery. For Arthur, they took him home to Caroline. 

With no family left at Killewarren, it was left to Williams to break the news. He entered Caroline’s bedchamber, hat in his hands.

”We have found him. I am so very sorry, milady, Lord Coniston is dead”

FOOTNOTE 

George Warleggan later told Caroline privately that Arthur had taken him into his confidence and asked him some pointed questions about the nature of any previous friendship between his wife and Dwight Enys. Apparently he had detected the undercurrent of tension when they had met in Truro. For all Caroline's anguish, Dr Enys' blue eyes had not seemed emotionless to Arthur. Added to that, Arthur's unknown observation of the two as they transferred Horace that morning had troubled him. Caroline's recent behaviour added fuel to his suspicions. George’s answers - which had tested George's diplomacy as never before - had not pleased Arthur and with his temper roused, he had been on his way to ask Dwight Enys some even more pointed questions, when fate had intervened.


	9. Wedding

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dwight's wedding day finally arrives.

If Ross and Demelza had found themselves in a quandary over whether to tell Dwight of Caroline's return to Cornwall, they now found themselves utterly without answers over whether to tell him of Lord Coniston's death before his wedding. In the end they did not need to, as news of his death spread far and wide at lightning speed.

And as Ross said, what did it matter anyway, as Caroline had declined the opportunity to marry Dwight six years ago. Essentially nothing had changed. 

Dwight's own opinion on the matter was unknown and likely to remain so. After losing control and drinking himself into oblivion, he had seemed to regain his equilibrium and was now preparing for his wedding the next day. He had promised to marry Jane and he would honour that commitment. He had given his word. He cared for Jane and had every reason to presume that their marriage would be a success. Caroline's name had not passed his lips again, and Ross certainly wasn't going to bring the subject up. After all, it was more than likely that Caroline would go back to London and life for Dwight would return to normal.

Demelza felt some pity for Caroline and would like to have called on her to express her sympathies, but her priority was very much Dwight and ensuring his wedding went smoothly, so a call would have to wait. A private funeral had very quickly been held, and Lord Coniston's body taken north to his family estate. No one had seen Caroline since the tragedy, and if the young widow continued living as she had been before the death of her husband, the once vibrant woman who had thrived on society would quickly become a recluse.

The wedding day dawned clear and bright. A good omen, Demelza thought, as she and Prudie readied Nampara for the wedding feast after the ceremony. There were not a lot of guests - the Poldarks of course, Jane's uncle (Jane had no other relatives and she had informed Demelza that her childhood friends were unable to make the journey) Zacky Martin, and a few miners and patients who had had numerous dealings with Dwight. However, most of the inhabitants of Sawle were planning to gather outside the church and wish Dr Enys well on his happy day as he and Jane exited as man and wife. All were of the opinion that if anyone deserved some happiness, it was Dwight Enys. 

Thus Dwight waited at the front of the church for his bride. And waited and waited. Twenty minutes became half an hour, and half an hour , forty five minutes. A full hour passed and still no Jane. The guests began to fidget, and exchange looks amongst themselves. Dwight retreated to a pew, hoping Jane was not unwell, but he could find no other explanation for her tardiness. He could not make sense of it. Although he would never admit it publicly, he had always believed that Jane's regard for him had been stronger than his for her. The last time he had seen her she had been impatient for their wedding, and very much looking forward to their future together.

Demelza quietly spoke to Jane's uncle to see if he could shed any light on the delay. According to him, Jane had been joyfully preparing for the ceremony when he had left their house. Demelza then excused herself and went to see what she could find out about the delay.

As soon as she left the church, she was met by Jacka Hoblyn. 

"There'll be no wedding today" he said gruffly. "Jane's not coming. She's gone"

"Gone?" What do you mean, gone?" Demelza said in shock.

"I mean she's taken all her things and left Cornwall. Rosina saw her getting into a carriage bound for London not twenty minutes ago. Just as well for 'er that she has!" Jacka answered angrily.

Jane Alloway had been too good to be true. The sweet, caring, hardworking Jane everyone thought they knew was a fraud. She had a great weakness for fine jewellery, trinkets and shiny objects which she would steal and keep hidden away, in various locations in her uncle's house. Her uncle was ignorant of the fact - he too had been taken in by his niece. Jane's ability to pilfer such objects had been well known in the town where she was born and it's surrounds though, and it was not her father's death alone that had brought her to Truro, but a need to escape more than one outraged victim of her crimes. 

Her new friend, Customs Officer Vercoe, being highly observant and of a naturally suspicious nature, sensed more than a little avarice in her, and suggested they make an "arrangement". Jane was aware that Dwight would be unable to provide her with the means to indulge her obsession, and eagerly agreed to Vercoe's scheme. 

Ironically Jane the thief became Jane the informer, installed by the crown to counter the recent escalation in smuggling activity. Consequently there had been a marked increase in arrests, with the village of Sawle once again hit hard. Although people had begun to speculate about the possibility of another informer, Jane would never had entered their heads as the culprit. For further informing, as the local doctor's wife, Jane would have been in the perfect position to know everyone and everything.

Jane had been seen that very morning, however, by Jacka himself, accepting money from Vercoe. When challenged, she had fled and managed to hide herself before returning to her uncle's house, where she had remained until he left for the church. She had then made her escape. This course of action was infinitely more preferable than explaining herself to Dwight, and critically, facing the wrath of Sawle, knowing what had befallen Charlie Kempthorne. 

Jane had loved Dwight, but she would have loved him even more had he possessed the priorities of Dr Choake, who worked amongst the rich, and whose house and bank balance reflected that fact. In her view, there was no shame in doing whatever she could to supplement her income, and in stealing jewellery it wasn't as if she were taking the food from folks' mouths. She knew Dwight would be utterly appalled at both her attitude and her deeds, and thus she had never revealed her true self to him. The Jane she had presented to him had been false. He had never really known her at all. 

Demelza could hardly believe it. While Demelza was furious with Jane, she was also angry at herself for being fooled by Jane's treacherous character and found it incomprehensible that fate would deal Dwight such a blow again.

Demelza had the unenviable task of reentering the church and telling Dwight the awful truth. He took it as only Dwight Enys could, with stoicism and grace. 

A short time after he had absorbed the information, he returned to his cottage and Dwight being Dwight, picked up his medical bag and started his rounds.


	10. At Last...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Caroline's decision to go for a ride on the beach has lasting consequences.

Eight months had passed since Arthur’s death and Caroline remained in Cornwall. The irony was not lost on her. She had come to Cornwall reluctantly, deferring to the wishes of her husband. Now widowed, she could return to London as she had so longed to do, but she had no desire to do so. Caroline's uncle had always said she was a contrary creature, and it seemed she had proven him correct. 

She had no desire to leave the safety of Killewarren either. She passed her days in front of the fire in her bedchamber, with Horace on her lap. Horace was the only constant in her life, and he sought to comfort her with his affection. Caroline missed Arthur, missed his presence and his friendship. Eight months on and she was not distraught, however. Arthur's death had left her sorrowful, but not distraught at having to live her life on her own. Any lingering grief was driven by a sense of guilt. Guilt that he would not have died, had he not been determined to confront Dwight, although what he would have said, Caroline didn't know. She and Dwight had not behaved improperly, had not exchanged letters or seen each other privately behind closed doors.

Caroline suspected that her most profound guilt came from the fact that she had not loved her husband in a romantic sense, that her heart was in the possession of another, whether he desired it or not.

It seemed he did not desire it.

Caroline had overheard her maids gossiping one morning as they changed the linens on her bed. Apparently Dwight had been left at the altar by Jane, who was not what she had seemed to be at all. Caroline had barely restrained herself from asking for more detail, from saying that surely they must be jesting, or that they must stop repeating lies. She was astonished when Williams later confirmed it. Despite the feeling of relief that immediately flooded her - she could now banish the painful image of Jane clinging to Dwight's arm forever - Caroline felt such sorrow for him that she almost wrote to him to inform him that clearly Jane had been out of her wits to have left him. She did not write the note of course, because six years prior, under different circumstances, she had essentially done the same. And thus she stayed silent.

For all her sympathy for Dwight's misfortune, she had hoped that in time, Dwight may have called on her, but no such visit came. Their individual misfortunes brought no change in their circumstances with regard to each other. Dwight went about his work as he always had, and Caroline remained in isolation at Killewarren.   
  
In the last few weeks, Demelza Poldark had issued her several invitations to supper or tea at Nampara, but Caroline always politely declined, providing feeble excuses which she knew Demelza saw straight through. Knowing Demelza’s proclivity for matchmaking, Caroline - quite rightly - feared she may not be the only guest. She desperately wanted to set her eyes on Dwight, but at the same time was terrified as to his reaction to her. That he had not called on her, in her mind, spoke volumes. She supposed he felt nothing for her at all, which was somehow worse that outright hatred. She did not wish him to be forced to socialise with her. She wished him to call - somewhat unfairly given she had rejected him - of his own volition. All in all Caroline felt it much safer to hide away at Killewarren than risk further heartbreak.

Which begged the question - why remain in Cornwall at all? Caroline was paralysed in fear and guilt and heartbreak.   
  
One morning, thoroughly exasperated with herself and almost out of her mind with boredom in her large lonely house, she rashly decided to venture beyond Killewarren and take a ride on the beach, believing the sea air might raise her spirits.

She dressed in her new maroon riding habit, newly arrived from London, and rode out of Killewarren, her confidence increasing with every step her horse took. She arrived at the beach, and galloped along it, revelling in every moment, despite her solitude and the cold. She finally jumped down from her horse and feeling exhilarated, ran toward the sea.

Caroline thought about removing her shoes and letting her feet feel the water, but decided it would be too cold this time of year. She turned to retrieve her horse and stopped dead when she saw she was not alone.

Dwight was standing some short distance behind her, his horse beside him, and his gaze was locked on her.

It was too much. All of Caroline's long suppressed emotion overwhelmed her and she began to sob. Dwight walked toward her, his expression sombre. He hesitated momentarily before his sympathy and emotion overcame his self doubt, and took her in his arms. Neither one said a word, both leaning into the extraordinary comfort of the embrace. Each had so much to say, but how to say it?

Eventually they raised their heads.

Dwight took a deep breath and without preamble asked unsteadily "Did you love him?"

"I cared for him. His death was tragic. He was a good man and he was good to me, and sometimes I miss him, but I did not love him" she answered quietly. "And I feel guilt that I did not love him. We were not unhappy but I should never have allowed myself to be persuaded into marriage with him. He deserved a better wife"

"You are hard on yourself" Dwight commented.

"It was only after my arrival in Cornwall that my failings as a wife became painfully obvious" Caroline confessed. 

Dwight studied her face.

"Caroline we all make choices we come to live to regret and sometimes we have impossible choices forced upon us and hurt other people when that is the absolute last thing we intend"

Looking into Dwight's blue eyes, Caroline knew he was not speaking of her decisions alone. 

She started to sob again, and Dwight tightened his hold on her. When she was calmer, Caroline managed to ask with some trepidation "Did you love Jane?"

"I cared for her, at least who I believed her to be. I thought she would make a suitable wife for me, but naturally that was before her true colours were revealed. In the end I was relieved. We were incredibly similar, or so I thought. As time went on, although I would never have admitted it, I came to see that although she would have been ably suited to assist me in the field of medicine, she was not suitable for me, as a man, at all. It seems I need a wife who is dissimilar to me. I require a wife who, although our fundamentals are the same, will be all the things I am not, and for her I would do the same. That is my marriage made in heaven"

Dwight left the remainder of his thoughts unsaid. 

Caroline bowed her head, unable to face him as she asked the question that had been plaguing her for weeks. 

"Why did you not call on me? I thought that in time you might...."

"I didn't think it proper in the circumstances. I also knew that you would need time to come to terms with your grief". He paused, and began again "And to be candid, after the events of six years ago, I did not know whether I would be welcomed. It was never that I did not wish to...only that I lacked the courage to do so" answered Dwight. 

He too, lowered his head and said quietly "I do not think I could have borne it had you refused to see me" And then,

"Why have you not left Cornwall?"

Suspecting that this may be the only opportunity she may have, Caroline abandoned her pride, and gave him complete honesty, as he deserved 

"You are here. For months I have had no sight of you, but here I remain all the same. I cannot leave you behind again. I have made many attempts to distinguish what I feel for you, Dwight Enys, and all of them have failed. And so here I stand, baring my soul to you, terrified of how I will be received."

Dwight did not answer her, but instead leaned forward and gently kissed her. Caroline kissed him back in the same manner; after all their heartache, they could not believe that they could once again lay claim to each other. Gentleness inevitably gave way to passion, and as the last of the winter winds whipped across the beach, Dwight enfolded Caroline in his great coat and pulled her even closer.

"How could you not know how you would be received, Caroline?" Dwight whispered in her ear.

"I have forgotten nothing. My memories hounded me. The fishbone, the oranges, the horse riding, every kiss we shared, every endearment you ever uttered. I remember it all, and I wanted so much to forget. You would not let me" Dwight told her tenderly as his hand glided across her face, and tucked her flyway hair behind her ear.

"I would not let you forget? You relentlessly forced your way into my thoughts and my dreams. Despite my marriage, I have always known that I will never love any man as I do you. My decision to sever our tie was based purely on fear, and it is my most profound regret"

Dwight was immensely moved to hear her admit it, and it emboldened him enough to say, with only a very few nerves remaining "Am I to assume then, that you would not be averse, at some time in the future, to marrying me?"

Caroline kissed him with such force that he lost his footing and fell onto the sand, bringing her with him. 

"Was your kiss a "yes" then? I realise this is very sudden..." Dwight asked, propping himself up on his elbows, after they had ceased their laughter.

"It was most definitely a "yes". And I would not call it sudden. We may have been parted for six years, but you always held my heart, even when I belonged to another."

Dwight's eyes were soft in adoration.

"As you held mine" he responded and they kissed again.

Caroline sat up, and after pausing in thought, asked "One thing troubles me though. If we had not both decided to be on this beach, at this time today, would we have remained alone and miserable? Each of us too afraid to make a move toward the other?" 

"No" replied Dwight, as he sat up. "I do not believe that. Eventually you or Horace would have had some medical calamity...a rogue fishbone for example. Or I would have called to warn you of some "viscous malady" that was sweeping Cornwall. I would have told you to bar your doors to all but me"

Now his eyes were full of laughter.

"And if none of that came to pass, do you think Demelza would have let it lie? I can say with utter assurance that even now, she will have some scheme in mind to throw us together"

Caroline smiled in acknowledgement, and remarked "Happily, we will be able to tell her to rest easy in that regard then"

Dwight smiled. "Quite so"

He took Caroline's hands in his, and finished "What I am attempting to say, Caroline, is that eventually we would have found each other again. Of that I have no doubt"

He stood up and puller her up off the sand.

"Now, shall we sit here grinning like fools, or shall we take advantage of our location?" Dwight asked with a grin.

"Caroline looked at him, perplexed. "What do you mean?"

"Race me" he answered in delight. He ran to his horse, clambered up and was away down the beach.

Caroline laughed, and ran to her own horse. When she eventually caught Dwight up, as they slowed, she leaned over and kissed him until her horse decided it did not care to remain still any longer. Caroline reined it in, and turned to see Dwight duck his head suddenly, overcome.

He raised it again, tears in his eyes and said "I am so happy"

"As am I, Dr Enys, as am I" Caroline replied gently, before she let her horse have it's head and galloped down the beach again, turning her head over her shoulder and looking at Dwight in invitation. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We got there in the end! Thank you for reading, but we're not quite finished yet and I think we are in need of some fluff...


	11. Let's Try This One More Time....

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dwight and Caroline get married. Ross and Demelza help. A supper follows.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is quite different in tone, and lacking in plot. It is very silly in parts. But I think we needed some lightheartedness after all the angst.

Six weeks later Caroline and Dwight walked out of church as man and wife. Dwight beamed and Caroline laughed. Ross and Demelza looked on in pride and it must be said, with some relief. Ross had told Demelza that he was truly exhausted by all the Enys/Penvenen torment and after today he had no wish to see either of them for at least a fortnight. He needed to regain his strength. 

The wedding had been a small affair owing to Caroline's comparatively recent widowhood, and neither the bride nor the groom had desired a lavish spectacle. It was more than enough that they would at last be wed. It seemed somehow appropriate that Ross and Demelza were the only guests in attendance, as they were the only ones who had been privy to the tumultous history of the attachment.

Ross vented his frustration with the happy couple during the very lavish wedding supper that followed at Nampara.

"In all my life, I have never met a couple who were each so stubborn and so profoundly in denial. You have both given us sleepless nights. If you knew the number of nights Demelza kept me from sleep as she invented one scheme after another to bring you together. My lovely wife was relentless. Everyday I was asked if I had spoken to you Dwight, of Caroline. And the mere mention of your name, Caroline, was enough to make Dwight practically run from whichever establishment we happened to be in, in a bid to escape speaking of you. I would make a remark, turn my head and by the time I'd turned it back again, I couldn't see him for dust. He was gone, no doubt dragging innocents off the street, falsely claiming they were ill, so he could justify his "leaving to a patient".

Ross was enjoying himself hugely. 

"Is that so?" Caroline asked, delighted, as they all watched Dwight blush furiously, and then indignantly protest "Ross! You exaggerate. I..." 

Ross waved his protests away.

"At any rate, all this means you are both forbidden to darken the doorstep of Nampara for at least a fortnight. I need some intestinal fortitude restored and I want my peaceful life back" Ross finished as he poured more wine.

"Peaceful life?" Dwight asked incredulously, and turned to Demelza, gesturing toward Ross. "Please, tell me of your peaceful life with my friend here, Demelza"

Demelza could not respond immediately as she was laughing too much. 

Dwight continued "I picture Nampara of an evening as Ross announces he has yet another grand plan. Which in actual fact, is an idiotic plan. It's a wonder Demelza's sanity is not in question. I myself have questioned the sanity of her husband on numerous occasions"

Ross replied, glaring at Dwight

"I'll have you know Demelza would be bereft without my plans".

He turned his head slightly towards Demelza and gave her a sly wink. 

Dwight laughed in genuine amusement, at least until Caroline spoke.

"I agree Ross. I believe Demelza would find life intolerably dull without your plans. And Dwight, have you not considered how many of Ross's plans involve you? If you are not benefitting from his schemes, as you did at Quimper, is it not your custom to charge after him to join him?" 

Caroline smiled innocently at an astonished Dwight. Dwight looked at her as if he could not believe the words that had just come out of her mouth, but Caroline merely fluttered her eyelashes at him. 

Ross roared with laughter. He had a feeling life for Dwight was about to become more than a little unpredictable. No doubt that was part of the attraction.

"I've changed my mind. Caroline, you may visit Nampara whenever you wish" he said with a grin. 

Thus the wedding breakfast continued.

Ross loudly remarked "After all manner of attempts to bring you together failed, I can only conclude that it is one of God's great miracles that you each managed to promise yourself to the other. If only you had allowed Poldark intervention, you would have been married weeks ago!"

Demelza agreed. "We did indeed try Ross. And over the years I have done my share of matchmaking..."

"Surely not" Ross interrupted ironically, as he smiled at her with huge affection. Demelza gave him a smile of her own and carried on

"And I do not exaggerate when I say that you both nearly broke me. Caroline, the excuses not to come to supper! Firstly, "I am unwell this week so must sadly decline", and then the very predictable "Horace is unwell and cannot be left". Then followed an apparent succession of visitors to Killewarren at the precise time on the exact day of every one of my invitations! It was most frustrating because I knew the more you protested, the deeper your feeling ran. If you had accepted my first invitation, I actually might have begun to doubt your love for Dwight. As it was I was convinced that you loved each other still" Demelza finished passionately, and she reached over to give Caroline's hand an affectionate squeeze.

Caroline had the unpleasant sensation of a warm blush spreading along her cheeks. Dwight was thrilled. It was difficult to discomfort Caroline. He could count on one hand the number of occasions he had seen Caroline blush. He would most definitely tease her about it later. 

Caroline, avoided Dwight's eye as he chuckled affectionately at her rare moment of public unease. In an effort to move the conversation on, she quickly responded "In any case, I believe I can speak for Dwight when I thank you for your efforts to bring us together. We are both stubborn in nature, and as you quite rightly alluded Demelza, were a formidable challenge. I apologize for causing such exasperation and applaud your tenacity." 

Ross refilled all their glasses with wine. "Be that as it may, you are now safely wed, and Demelza and I could not be happier for it. Let us drink then, to Dr and Mrs Enys!"

They raised their glasses to the bride and groom, and happily emptied the contents. A toast was made to Demelza "the finest matchmaker in all of Cornwall". And another to Ross "mastermind of grand and idiotic plans". Much laughter followed. Brandy was called for and the supper continued, becoming a raucous affair that kept the Poldark children awake upstairs. Not that they minded - little Clowance climbed into bed with Jeremy and they giggled as they listened to their parents' laughter, the happy atmosphere pervading the whole house. 

As the supper drew to a close, Ross poured he and Dwight some port, and drew Dwight aside. Believing their wives were otherwise occupied discussing the shameful lack of service of late at the haberdashery in Truro, he began in a low voice, "Now, I know you are not inexperienced in matters of love, but I want you to know that should you require any advice for the night ahead, as a married man of some years, I am only too happy to give it"

Dwight couldn't quite believe his ears. "I know it would be understating it to say that the romantic pursuits in my life, until this point, have not been altogether successful, but truly Ross!"

"Dwight. Six years of passion denied! You must have been the most impatient bridegroom ever to take vows! I simply wanted to ensure that you know how to...channel that passion, if you will, given the occasion. It's the brotherly thing to do"

In actual fact, Demelza and Caroline had overheard the entire exchange. Demelza's eyes had yet to stop rolling round her head, but she could not help but stifle a grin, all the same. Caroline too was amused, but as the discussion progressed, found she could take no more. She stepped in and said firmly "Ross, look at me. I assure you Dwight needs no instruction on this topic whatsoever. None." 

Both Ross and Dwight were the colour of a tomato before Caroline had finished speaking, and Ross raised his eyebrows as he considered the implications of Caroline's words. 

Dwight and Caroline eventually left Nampara, not for Killewarren, but for Dwight's cottage on the cliff. Caroline had insisted, despite Dwight's reservations about the lack of comfort on their first night as man and wife. Caroline informed Dwight that contrary to appearances, she was certain she would be able to endure physical discomfort in the form of a lumpy mattress, and besides, she was sure that he had the wherewithal to make it up to her in any number of ways. She had kissed him after she had said it, catching his bottom lip between her teeth. Dwight had gleefully accepted her challenge, and told her that she should anticipate a fervent and spirited attempt at recompense.

And as she explained to Dwight after the luxurious Penvenen carriage delivered them to Dwight's humble cliffside cottage, "All those years ago, in the time we were together, on every occasion I visited your cottage, I never managed to cross the threshold of your extremely mysterious bedchamber Dr Enys. My attempts were always unsuccessful. Well no longer. Tonight, my love, I am climbing those stairs!"

Dwight laughed in response. "Indeed you did not cross that threshold, I would not allow it. I was guarding your virtue, and I had no wish to be tempted beyond endurance."

He looked at her with fire in his eyes, and kissed her so fiercely that Caroline lost all the breath in her lungs and her knees began to buckle. He caught her up in his arms as her legs weakened, and told her "Tonight my bedchamber is yours. But no climbing. Surgeon's orders"

And in no time at all, Caroline found herself in Dwight's arms the top of the stairs. She looked around the bedchamber curiously, taking in it's spartan nature, and remarked teasingly "Why Dr Enys, where is all your medical paraphernalia? No books? No instruments? I felt certain you would have a book or two by your bed to lull yourself into sleep of a night. I half expect to be woken in the morning by medical experimentation on my person"

Dwight grinned wickedly as he carried her to his bed. "If that is your wish my love, I will gladly awake you with some form of experimentation. As to the books, I moved them downstairs. I prefer to study other things presently" he finished, his eyes fixed on hers. He placed her gently on the bed, and Caroline pulled him towards her.

"Ah" she whispered in his ear. "Well, now we are finally wed, and I have at last crossed this threshold, I think it only fair to warn you that I do indeed mean to tempt you beyond all endurance"

Dwight smiled smugly and said "I am counting on that, Caroline".


	12. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some years later, the Enys family dine at Nampara. Silliness ensues.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In true Poldark fashion, we have a time jump. I've been pretty flexible with the time here, but we are going to forget that. After all, it is an AU! There is not much plot here either, just some lighthearted banter....

Sunday afternoon saw the Enyses dine with the Poldarks at Nampara. All the Enyses except Horace, who after finally coming to terms with the birth of Sophie, and his descent down the pecking order, was now doubly insulted by the birth of Meliora some eight months ago.

Horace was not the only one who was put out by Meliora's birth. Jeremy Poldark was also disappointed at the birth of Meliora. He thought it quite inconsiderate that his mother, and then his Aunt Caroline had both given birth to three daughters between them in such a short space of time.

Over a rowdy lunch he raised the subject with the man he considered most likely to have answers. 

"Uncle Dwight, could you not have arranged it so that you had at least one son? Apart from you and Papa, I am surrounded by girls, and I do not care for it" he said glumly.

Dwight put down his fork to give him an answer. "Well Jeremy, at this point in time, there is no scientific method to arrange such a thing. Your little sisters adore you though. I'm sure you could think of some good points for having sisters if you tried hard enough"

Jeremy considered Dwight's answer for a moment and replied thoughtfully "So, if Mama and Aunt Caroline each have more babies, I might end up with more sisters and no brother?" He stabbed at his potato with his fork in disgust at the thought.

"I'm afraid so Jeremy" Dwight said gravely, although the fact that Jeremy counted his daughters close enough to be considered sisters made him want to smile. They did spend an inordinate amount of time together, so he supposed it was not altogether surprising.

Jeremy was thoughtful again, and then very sombrely asked "Well in that case, may I request that you all stop doing whatever it is you do to make babies? I have some idea, and I do not think it would be such a difficult hardship, not like giving up Aunt Caroline's jellies, or playing with Garrick" 

Dwight's eyebrows shot up and he almost replied that he would need to speak to his parents on that matter, but he decided against it and picked up his wine and drank deeply rather than give an answer. Silence reigned, followed an awkward clearing of multiple throats. The silence was well and truly broken by Caroline, as she began to choke as a result of trying to conceal her laughter. Demelza quickly took Meliora from her, as Dwight thumped her on the back, before she recovered herself.

"Jeremy" Demelza admonished, while sitting Meliora on her hip and swallowing a smile. "That's quite enough from you. When did you decide you could tell your elders and betters what to do? Eat your lunch and..."

She was interrupted by Ross bursting into laughter himself. He had caught Caroline's eye, and he could not contain his laughter any longer. 

"Ross. You are not helping" said Demelza, just before Caroline started laughing again. Jeremy began to laugh too, having no idea what at, but happy that he had been able to make his Papa and Aunt Caroline laugh so much. Not to be left out, Clowance joined in and wee Bella and Sophie produced huge smiles of their own. 

"Enough! Jeremy, Clowance finish your lunch and then go outside and play. Clowance, take your little sister and Sophie." Demelza gave them a look that invited no argument, and gave Meliora to Dwight.

Caroline dug in her bag and produced a box of her famous jellies for the children. The children scoffed the last of their lunch and took the box in delight, then rushed out the door, Bella and Sophie following as quickly as their little legs would allow.

"I apologize Demelza. Caroline belongs to the "every situation can be bettered by the consumption of jellies" school of mothering, and if there's a way to persuade her from it, I've yet to find it" Dwight sighed, but brushed Caroline's cheek with affection as he did so.

Demelza laughed and replied "You've told me nothing I did not already know. After all these years, I expect nothing less, so it's of no matter"

She sighed and sat back down at the table. She looked from her husband, who was still chuckling as he sat at the head of the table, to Caroline, who was trying - and failing miserably - to compose herself. Caroline didn't know what exactly she found so amusing, but she was glad she had an ally in Ross.

"Honestly Dwight, look at these two!" Demelza said, smiling widely and gesturing at Ross and Caroline. "They behave as children themselves. How they would manage without us, I do not know. I've heard more than one villager from Sawle speculate that you and I would have made a better match. For the first time, I begin to wonder"

"Demelza I apologize for my unseemly laughter, and my reliance on jellies for mothering" said Caroline aiming for a contrite tone, but quite clearly not meaning a word of it. "If you would like some further amusement, now that the children have left, I can tell you precisely what would have happened had you married Dwight, and I Ross". 

"Truly?" smiled Dwight, genuinely curious. No doubt his wife would tell quite the tale. "Do tell us my love, we are all ears" 

"Well. I will begin with Ross and myself, if I may. For a start, Ross and I would have blazed a trail through Cornwall. With my money, and his determination, Ross would have won elections, won over the people and we would have been invited to the most exclusive parties"

""Which we would not have attended" interrupted Ross loudly.

Caroline sighed and rolled her eyes. 

"Ooh, I see an argument brewing, Dwight" Demelza laughed and nudged Dwight with her elbow.

Dwight winked, and grinned conspiratorially back at her. 

Caroline smiled but continued. "The possibilities would have been endless. We are of similar backgrounds and are of similar temperaments. We have a certain level of understanding"

This time Ross nodded in approval as she spoke.

"But sooner rather than later, Ross would have behaved badly, or at least in a manner not to my liking. Alternatively I would have challenged him over some decision he had made, and he would not have appreciated my opinion, or the manner in which I stated it. Either way sparks would have flown the like of which Cornwall had never seen. Eventually I would have been burying him in the garden at Killewarren, or he me the vegetable patch at Nampara. No good would have come of such a match"

Dwight and Demelza laughed. Ross frowned, and took a drink of port. He could not deny the bad behaviour part but he hadn't anticipated the murder.

"Whereas you and Dwight, my darling Demelza, would have been happier for longer I believe. You too, have a certain level of understanding. You both have a much calmer demeanour. But in the end you would have bored each other silly, and made each other miserable in the politest manner possible. No good would have come of this match either"

Ross roared with laughter, while Dwight and Demelza looked highly affronted. 

"I did not mean either of you are dull. Would I call my beloved husband and my dearest friend, dull? I simply meant that you are incredibly similar and require a different, even opposing character in your spouse. You once told me the same, Dwight, years ago".

"As much as you fret over Ross's schemes Demelza, I believe the fact that he is always about some mission excites you. I think we all agree he is mostly well intentioned. And perhaps he takes things too far from time to time, but he makes you feel so alive, yes?"

"At last! Have I not been saying the same for years, my love?" Ross sprang from his seat and waltzed a laughing Demelza round the parlour in delight at his vindication.

Caroline reached for Sophie's tumbler of remaining lemonade and finished it off.

"And I fret over Dwight martyring himself for his patients, and occasionally the time spent away from us, but I love that he is steadfast and honourable and highly intelligent. He does not care about the cut of his cloth, even though I do, and I love him for it. He is truly a man of substance"

"Martyring, Caroline?" Dwight questioned skeptically.

"Martyring, Dwight" Caroline reaffirmed. 

"Are you intimating that I am unintelligent, Caroline?" asked Ross with a frown, his impromptu waltz having ended, as he returned to his seat at the table.

"You continue to prove my point Ross. I intimated no such thing. It just so happens that Dwight is exceptional"

Caroline smiled at Dwight proudly, and he at once blushed, then beamed with pleasure, as he held wee Meliora on his knee. Caroline had privately complimented him many times before, but it very much pleased him to hear it publicly. "Did you hear that Meliora? You have an exceptional papa"

"At any rate, the heart desires what the heart desires, and it won't be denied. Our hearts certainly wouldn't. I believe we complement each other perfectly, and all is as it's meant to be" Caroline ended her speech, and took Dwight's hand. He smiled at her and kissed the finger that wore his wedding ring.

Demelza likewise took Ross's hand, and with tears threatening, said

"When I look around the parlour, and see my husband, my dearest friends, and all our children playing in the yard....I am quite overwhelmed. We four have been through some difficult times. We have struggled with our own pains and battles, and we have lost children, who we carry in our hearts forever, but we have come through, and now here we sit of an afternoon, and laughter echoes throughout the house. We have much to be grateful for"

"Agreed" Ross said and kissed her cheek. "We've had extraordinary lives. And we're not done yet. Lets 's raise a glass, then" said Ross. 

"To our extraordinary life!" The four raised their glasses, and toasted. Ross settled back in his chair again and remarked

"And now, we shall rest a while, and watch as our children grow, and see what they make of their lives. With any luck, they will be peaceful, calm and entirely uneventful!!"

Sophie and Bella came back into the parlour and climbed onto their mother's laps as they began to tire from all their play.

The families lingered in the parlour until the sun set, and both Enys girls were asleep on their parents laps. They eventually made their farewells, and as they made their way home in the carriage, Caroline asked

"What kind of world have we made for our children, Dwight? Do you believe they will have happy and peaceful lives?"

Dwight considered her question and answered slowly "We can only do so much, my darling. We can love them, and educate them, and teach them right from wrong, but in the end, as we have, they must forge their own paths, our girls and the Poldark children. It will be interesting to see what they all make of it."

"It will indeed" yawned Caroline, as the carriage rounded the bend toward the gates of Killewarren.

They were home.


End file.
